Tuesday, April 19, 2016

All Def Digital to Launch the All Def Roast; New Programming Franchise

All Def Digital to Launch the All Def Roast; New Programming Franchise

All Def Roast Partners With Merry Jane and Confirms Snoop Dogg as First Honoree to be Roasted, Toasted, Baked & Smoked

LOS ANGELES, April 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hot on the heels of landing a multi-year deal to broadcast the All Def Movie Awards, ALL DEF DIGITAL (ADD), the fastest growing video programming brand in hip hop and youth culture, is producing the first-ever All Def Roast. In partnership with MERRY JANE, the premiere cannabis lifestyle media platform, ADD has confirmed legendary entertainment icon, Snoop Dogg as the first celebrity to be roasted. The announcement was made today by Russell Simmons, founder of All Def Digital, and Sanjay Sharma, President and Chief Executive Officer for ADD.

The All Def Roast will be a new franchise developed by the All Def Digital team and will feature the most worthy personalities deserving of the unique and inimitable "Def" touch. The roast series will feature a line-up of some of the best names in popular culture, from comedy, music, and sports to even politics.

"Snoop had such an amazing time with us at the All Def Movie Awards, when we told him about our idea to launch a new breed of 'Def Roasts,' he was immediately on board as our first honoree. We are jointly partnering with his company MERRY JANE to roll up the best roast ever," said Simmons. "The All Def Comedy Roast will reimagine the format and be completely fresh, fun and irreverent. We will bring the best names in the world of urban and pop culture together for a true night to remember. Snoop is gonna leave baked and roasted -- and the audience will remember this one forever."

"With a footprint deeply established in the world of comedy, we plan to develop the All Def Roast into a signature cross-platform programming franchise for our media company," said Sharma. "Short form content will be distributed across our platform which now reaches over 100 million fans, we can leverage new platform tools like Facebook Live, and we are already speaking with digital and broadcast partners about collaborating together as well."

"Over the years, I have roasted several entertainers and friends and now it's my turn to be in the hot seat," said Snoop Dogg. "I've got mad love for what Russell has done with ALL DEF DIGITAL and am looking forward to seeing what ADD and MERRY JANE have up their sleeves for my roast. And as they say, 'if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.'"

"MERRY JANE is excited to partner with ALL DEF DIGITAL to kick off our joint roast with an entertainment legend like Snoop Dogg," said Ted Chung, Co-Founder of MERRY JANE. "MERRY JANE and ADD are both forward thinking companies that engage the modern global audience, so a partnership on this production is a natural fit. We create groundbreaking material which has changed antiquated perceptions and celebrates the world of Cannabis -- and our inaugural roast with Snoop Dogg will definitely push the needle."

ALL DEF DIGITAL has been moving aggressively into premium long-form content, in part through its first-look deal with HBO for television. HBO has announced several ADD projects, including All Def Comedy Live, a stand up comedy series based on ADD's wildly successful weekly live comedy event in Hollywood. The All Def Roast will be produced by ADD's head of programming, Chris Conti, and VP of programming, Jeru Tillman, both of whom also produced the All Def Movie Awards as well as ADD's HBO comedy series.

"Like with the All Def Movie Awards, we're focused on filling generational and cultural gaps in the media market," said Chris Conti, Head of Programming for ADD. "This is a twist on a traditional format, done in an unconventional way, that we know our audience will love. And who better to flip the script than Russell Simmons and Snoop Dogg?"

ABOUT ALL DEF DIGITAL
All Def Digital (ADD) is the leading media company for urban-centric youth culture. ADD produces and distributes original content through its own media properties, social channels, traditional and premium television, theatrical motion-pictures, live events, brand partnerships, and its own record label in partnership with Universal Music Group. ADD also manages a curated network of emerging and established talent including social video stars, stand-up comics, writers, actors, poets and hip hop recording artists. ADD is the fastest growing media brand in urban youth programming, touching over 100 million fans monthly across YouTube and Facebook, with category-leading engagement metrics. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with offices in New York. Its investors include Nu Horizons, Greycroft Partners, e.ventures and Advancit Capital.

ABOUT SNOOP DOGG
Multi-platinum artist, actor and entertainment icon Snoop Dogg is at the forefront of popular culture with award-winning albums and songs, multiple films, lifestyle products, philanthropic efforts, and digital ventures. Snoop Dogg has sold over 35 million albums worldwide and received multiple GRAMMY(®) nominations. Since 1993, he has released thirteen albums and collaborated with artists across all genres of music. Snoop's musical catalogue include some of the biggest songs in the world, including "Gin and Juice," "Drop It Like It's Hot," "Snoop Dogg (What's My Name)" and "Beautiful." Snoop Dogg has performed around the world for more than 20 years, including his notorious Coachella headlining show where he performed alongside Dr. Dre and the Tupac hologram. Snoop Dogg is currently working on his upcoming album, High Definition, coming out summer 2016.

A visionary and entrepreneur, Snoop Dogg's brand spans across technology, business and consumer verticals, even gracing the cover of AdWeek as a "Tech Mogul." One of the world's most recognizable cannabis icons and pioneers, he recently made history as the first celebrity to have his own branded line of cannabis products, "Leafs By Snoop," which includes hand-weighed flower, concentrates, and edibles and are currently available in dispensaries throughout Colorado. Snoop Dogg defines entertainment history.

About MERRY JANE
MERRY JANE is a media platform at the crossroads of pop culture, business, politics, health, and the new generation of normalized, sophisticated cannabis culture for all. Through engaging editorials, original videos and events, MERRY JANE highlights the reality of cannabis news and lifestyle, while also offering vital, interactive tools to explore the new frontier of cannabis business.